QTL for chemotaxis ^___

C. elegans provide an ideal model system for studying the genetics and evolution of complex traits because of its rapid generation times and extensive genetic tools. These nematodes get around in the world primarily through their sense of smell. Chemotaxis is the orientation and movement toward or away from a particular odor. We are using chemotaxis as a model trait for studying the genetic basis of quantitative traits.

We can conduct fine-scale behavioral assays using the "wormtracker" system developed by John Pierce at the U of O.

We have successfully mapped a large QTL effect to the X-chromosome and have identified a number of potentially informative candidate loci in this region.

We are pursuing these loci through backcross integration of this region of the X chromosome and through quantitative complementation testing of the loci involved.